Method of manufacturing covered-joint hinge



June 5, 1928.

Filed March 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l June 5, 1928.

J. T. ATWOOD IETHOD OF IANUFACTURING COVERED JOINT HINGE Filed larch 15. 1924. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J91] @JJ;

I I j j 7 43 1.r LV/ 1:

{.9 1.9 4 r- 11 3a I1 36 l x J6 I if 37 3.9 l 21 spiral form.

Patented Juries, 192s.

* UNITED STATES JAMES 1. ATW QDQOF KOQKF RD, ILLINOIS.

M H EMA UWT R NG QY F 1 QI Q Application filcdMarch 15, 1e24 Serial nae-99,463. 3

This invention relates to'hinges, and more particularly, tothat type known as"covered joint hinges, adapted 't'or outdoor use where the hinge joint is exposed to the elements.

terial and so constructed as to include a cover plateor shell supplemental to the outside hingemember and shaped to cover the hinge joint. Such hinges'are not altogether-satisfactory because of their comparatively high cost of production and 'because the sheetmetal cover plate Will not stand the handlingv which hinges for this use are subjected to, and they frequently are distorted, dented and marred from the blows of a hammer or the, effects of other tools used in setting and adjusting the hinges von the door body.

T he primary purpose of thepres'ent inven-' tion is to provide an in1proved.. method of manufacturing a covered jomthmge wh ch will resemble in appearance the malleable .cast hinges, especially'in that the'hinge joint will be covered from view and --n-om the corroding elfects of the elements, and in which the outer hinge member will cover the hinge joint and pre-sent'to View a single piece structure whichwill not dent or mar as will-the cover plate type of hinge. This is accomplished in the present embodiment of the i'n vention by making a single piece outer hinge member the knuckle portion of which'is' in The inner convolution of said spiral is the knuckle proper and'has transverse slots or cuts whiclrreceive the complemental portions of the other hinge knuckle and the outer imperforate portion of the spiral houses or covers-the hinge joint, that is the joints made @by thefin'terfitting knuckles. a i

My invention contemplatestorming each hinge member tromn single piece o'f fiat steel material of sufficiently heavy gauge to insure the desired strength, wearing qualities and allowance for finish as by grinding or otherwise forming the edges of the outer knuckle to obtain a crowned eflect.

, It further contemplates the provision of a novel method of making a covered hinge of the character described, particularly the outside hinge memberf And, While the improved product claimed in applicationSerial :No. 13,960, filed' March 9," 1925, might be produced by other means andmethods; that contemplated and .disclosed herein is especially. advantageous and desirable in pro-. motmg economy in the 'costof producing said hinges and in insuring the desired accuracy in the resultant machined surfaces forming part ofthe hinge joint.' The'steps comprising this method are described here'- inafter.

Other objects and attendant advantages will'be appreciated by those skilled in this art as the inventionbe'comes better understood byrcferenCe to the fol'lowiing description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingsiin which Figured, isan edge view of a covered JOIHL hmge embodymg my nventlon;

'Fig. 2, is a view of'the rear side of the 'hinge,"' looking at the right'han'd' side of Fig. 1;

Fig; 3, is, a longitudinal sectional View through thehmge with the hinge members open, taken on the line-3 43 of Fig. 2; i

Fig. 4, is a detailed section taken on the "line l l of Fig. 2; i

1 Fig. 5, is a view of the inside hinge member.

Fig. 6, is a "section taken on the li.ne 66 of Fig. '5;

--Fig. 7, is a view of the outside hinge :member; i

gFig. 8, is a section taken onthe line 88 of- Fig. 7; and

Figs. 9 to 13 are views showing respectively the different steps of the method empjloyed in making the outside-hinge member.

' Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 to Slinelusive, I will. describe first the product i'ia'mely, the "hinge, and laterthe method of making it. It' will be borne in mind that the particular hinge shown in the drawings is merely a single illustration designed especially for hanging automobiledoo'rs and-that in other applications the proportions and dimensions of parts might be'varied within the'scope of the invention.

'lll iehinge comprises three parts. namely aninner jhinge member I Lndapted in this instance to be attached to the door jamb of the body, an outer hinge member 15 adapted to be attached to the door, and a pivot pin 16 connecting the knuckle of said hinge members. Each hinge member is formed of a single piece of flat steel turned or curled" upon itself at one end to provide the knuckle. As shown in Figs. t and (i the inside hinge member is formed at one end to provide a cylindrical knuckle 17 laterally offset from said member, in this case at the side on which it is attached to the body. In this case the knuckle is formed or cut by a suitablemachining operation to provide trans-' verse recesses 18 for the reception of the ron'iplemental knuckle portions of the other made in the knuckle 19 to provide recesses having machine surfaces 22 which bear against the complemental bearing surfaces on the other knuckle. The outside hinge member is of uniform thickness or substantially so from end to end, including its knuckle, thereby providing maximum strength throughout its length. In. this regard it will be observed that there is no sheet metal shell over the outer hinge member in order to cover the hinge joint and that with the present construction the full thickness of metal is carried throughout the spiral knuckle, giving an integral structure having greater strength and being less apt to get out of alignment or be stressed out of shape, or marred, than covered joint hinges of the multi-part built-up construction.

The pivot pin has an eccentric head 23 for the purpose of overlying 'or covering the space 24 between the spiral portion 21 and the knuckle proper and also for locating the head centrally with respect to the entire knucklestructure. Suitable means may be employed for preventing rotary displacement of the pivot pin and consequently displacement of. its head with respect to the spiral knuckle. In the present case this comprises a small boss 25 on the under side of the head adapted to engage in the recess or opening 26 at the terminus of the knuckle 19.

My invention also contemplates the provision of a method for making the abovedescribed hinge; and while this method is very desirable because it enables the production of hinges at a comparatively low cost and insures uniformity in shape of the hinge members which might otherwise be difficult to produce in large numbers at a low cost with a sufficient degree of accuracy required, it should nevertheless be understood that my improved hinge might be produced by other methods. The method consists, preferably but not necessarily, in the following steps. The operation of forming the knuckle proper on both the inside and outside hinge memher is substantially the same except that the knuckle for the outside hinge member is olfset laterally further than the knuckle for the inside hinge member. I prefer to make each hinge member from either cold or hot rolled open hearth flat rolled steel, which is economical, practical, has the desired strength, and is very well suited to being worked into form by myv method. Each knuckle will be formed by bending or curling one end of the flat steel blank to provide the cylindrical knuckle above described. I prefer to do this by initially bending or turning one end 27 of the blank laterally as shown in Fig. 9. This is done by placing the blank designated by 15 (to be formed into the outside hinge member), in a bottom die 28 with one end of the blank resting on a ledge 29, and bringing a top die 81 downonto the blank so as to bend or turn the end 27 to conform to the shape of the top and bottom dies as shown.

The blank thus formed will then be placed in a knuckle forming die having a substantially sen'ii-circular cavity 32 and a straight wall tangential thereto, with the turned end 27 located in the cavity. A top die 3st having a shoulder 35 engaging the end of the blank, opposite from its turned end 27 will in a quick pressure stroke parallel with the plane in which the blank is disposed, force the blank down into the cavity 32 so that its turned or curved end 27 will be curled b thesha e of said die cavitv to the cylindrical form noted in dotted lines in Fig. 10, the pressure stroke being properly timed in length so that the terminus of the knuckle is brought into close proxiniityto the body portion of the blank. In this manner one end of the blank is bent or curled to form animperforate knuckle laterally o'll'set from one side of the plane of the blank body. The blank will then be placed in a die designated generally by having a cavity 31' which from the points 38 to 39 are substantially parabolic and from 39 to 4:1, arcuate. This die alsohas astraight wall 12 substantially tangential to the curved face 3839. An upper pressure die 43 will then force the blank downwardly by endwise pressure thereon thereby further offsetting the knuckle 19 from the body of the blank and at the same time turning the knuckle a predetermined number of degrees in a counterclockwise direction and curvin the portion of the blank adjoining the knu zle proper. to conform to the shape 38-S9 of the die. The blank thus formed will then be placed in a I relation.

suitable fixture designated by '44, Fig. 12, and slotted transversely; of its knuckle by a suitable milling cutter 45, orthe equivalent, to provide the recesses or slots 22 above mentioned. The cuts are not carried entirely through'the blank and therefore leave the outer Wall of the knuckle portion 21 uncut or imperforate to-the greatest length for covering the hinge joint. The transversely cut blank Willthen be placed in a die 36 of approximately the same shape asthe die36 and given another endwise blow bya pressure die 43 similar to the die 43, thereby further curling the knuckle 19 in a counter-clockwise direction, or rolling it .in the same direction to provide a spiral knuckle having the characteristics above described. The stroke of the pressure die 43 is so regulated .inlength as to curl, roll or coil the knuckle end to theform shown in Fig.13, which "is the final form of the outside hinge member. It will be observed that the knuckle end of this hinge member is substantially spiral in form, and that by properly shaping the dies a clearance space 45' will be provided between the knuckle proper l9 and the knuckle portion 21 to prevent interference ofthe' latter with the pe-v riphery of the complemental knuckle 17' of the inside hinge'member when the hinge members are connected-together in operative This completes the operation of forming the blank and there only. remains such operations as may be required for giving t-he blank any desired finish and for grinding off'any small burrs or rough edges. Inthe present use of the hinge, above mentioned,it is preferred to grind the corners 46 through part at least of the length of the spiral knuckle portion '21 to-give it a crowned effect, this being purely for 'finish and made possible-to a greater degree without impairing the strength than maybe done with the metalshcll type of covered joint. hinge above described. An important advantage in the manufacture of the outer hinge member according to themethod disclosed herein is that the bearing surfaces for the hingejoint will be smooth and close fitting. This is because such surfaces may be accurately machined after the knuckle'properhas been formed andthe blank is subsequently turned, curled or coiled upon the knuckle proper without displacing the relative relation of the machined surfaces.

It will he noted that the reference to-top andsbottom die members is merely relative and that the several forming operations might beperformed in any suitable plane other than vertical as herein disclosed. The dies employed in the practice of my method are preferably used in a punch press, the lower dies-being carried on the stationary bed'andthe upper dies by the plunger. It

'* should be understood however thatiny method is not to be circumscribed by the use of apparatus other than that disclosed therein, nor is the product by its manufacture by a method other than that claimed herein.

It is believed that the foregoing conveys a vention as expressed in the appended Clilill'lS,

in which 1. The method of making-a hinge member of a covered joint hinge, consisting in bcnding one endof a metalblank substantially a complete convolution providing a knuckle, slottmg said knuckle transversely for the reception of a, complemental knuckle, and bendingthe blank about said knuckle in spiral form providing an outer-knuckle portion' adapted tocover the hinge joint.

. 2. The .method of making the outside hinge member of a covered joint hinge, consisting in bending one end of a blank'to form a knuckle, slotting theknuckletransversely, and rolling the knuckle upon the blank in spiral form providing-an'outer knuckle portion adapted to cover the hinge joint.

3. The method of 'making the outside hinge member of a covered joint hinge, consisting in forming a transversely recessed knuckle on one end of a metal blank, and rollingthe blank about said knuckle to spiral form in which the outer imperforate portion of the knuckle coversjthe inner perforate knuckle proper.

4;. The method of making the outside hinge member ofa covered joint hinge, consisting in bending one end of a met-akblank to form a cylindrical knuckle joined tangentially to the body of the blank, bending the blank to turn said knuckle a n'edetern'lined number ofdegrees in the same direction as the first mentioned turn to position. the knuckle in a plane laterally spaced from the plane of the'blank body,'slotting tl-iekuuckle transversely for reception of a complemental knuckle, and further bendingthe blank to turn. the knuckle an additional predetermined number of degrees in said direction to provide a spiral knuckle including said cylindrical-knuckle proper at its center.

5; The method of making a hinge member of a covered'jointhinge, consisting in curl.- ing one end of a flat metal blank substantial-- ly a complete convolution to form an imporforate knuckle offset at one side ofthe-plane of the blank body, bending the knuckle end of the blank laterally so that the knuckle further offset from said plane, slotting said knuckle transversely for the reception of a coi'i'iplen'iental knuckle, and curling the blank upon said knuckle to spiral form in which the transversely perforate knuckle is positioned at the inner side of the imperiorate curved portion of the spiral. knuckle.

6. The method of making a covered joint hinge member, consisting in bending one end of a metal blank to provide a knuckle, milling the knuckle by a transverse cuttting op eration to provide machined bearing surfaces for the knuckle of a con'mleinental hinge member, and bending or curling the blank about the machined knuckle to provide a cover for the knuckle joint. i

7. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge ronsisting in curling one end of a metal. blank to provide a substantially eylimlrical knuckle portion. slotting said knuckle portion for the reception of the knuckle of the inside hinge n'ien'iliicr, and further ('lli'llllf): the blank upon said knuckle portion to provid an outer iin- 'ierforate portion spaced. from and providing a covering for the. slotted knuckle portion.

8. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in curling one end of a metal. blank by successive operations to provide a spiral knuckle, and slottting the knuckle portion transversely before the final curling operation.

9. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in bending one end of a metal blank by successive operations to provide a knuckle laterally offset from the plane of the body proper of'the blank, said operations including bending said end upon itself so as to substantially define the shape of the knuckle proper and subsequently bending said end to the finished shape, and transversely slotting the knuckle after the first-mentioned bending operation and prior to said finished bending operation, the said subsequent bending operation serving to conceal the slots formed in the intermediate operation.

10. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in providing a single piece metal blank, forming a knuckle on one end of said metal blank by a series of bending operations, one of said operations consisting in turning the end of the blank back upon itself to substantially define the shape of the knuckle proper and the pivot pin hole and a subsequent bending operation consisting in completing the shape of the knuckle, and transversely slotting the knuckle after the first-mentioned bending operation and prior to the subsequent bending operation, the latter operation serving to conceal the slots formed in the intermediate operation.

11. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered jointhinge consisting in providing a single piece metal blank, forming a knuckle on one end of said metal blank by a series of bending operations, one of said operations consisting in turning the end of the blank back upon itself to partially shape the. knuckle and a subsequent bending operation consisting in completing the location of the knuckle with respect to the body of the hinge member, and slotting the knuckle after the first-mentioned bending-operation and prior to said subsequent bending operation, the latter operation serving to conceal theislots formed in the intermediate ope 'ation.

12. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge ineluding bending one end of a metalblank to partially shape the knuckle, transversely slotting said bent end for the reception of the knuckle of the complementa'l hinge member, said slots reaching beyond the peripheral dimension of the knuckle proper into the body of the blank to provide clearance for the periphery of the complemental knuckle portions, and subsequently bending said knuckle proper to a position in which the unslotted portion covers the hinge join made byfthe inter-fitting knuckles.

13. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in turning one end of a metal blank to partially form the'knuckle proper, then transversely slotting said turned end, and curling said turned, slotted knuckle portion to provide a laterally offset knuckle-in WhlCllZLl'l imperforate portion has been disposed by said curling. operation ina posi-'. tion to cover a portion of the hinge joint made by the inter-fitting knuckles 14;. The method of manufacturing a hinge member consisting in forming one end of a metal blank substantially to the shape of a knuckle, transversely slotting said knuckle portion, and subsequently curling said slotted knuckle portion to provide a laterally offset knuckle, the unslotted outer side of the blank body contiguous to the slot open.- ings thereat being advanced by said curling operation to a position covering in part the hinge joint made by the interfitting knuckles.

'15. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in forming one end of a metal blank to provide a knuckle, transversely slotting said knuckle so that the slots extend into the body of the blank to provide clearance space for the knuckle of the complemental hinge member but so as not to penetrate the outer surface of said body, and subsequently curling said slotte knuckle portion to advance it to a position in Which the imperforate portion of the body covers in part the hinge joint made by the interfitting knuckles.

16. The method of manufacturing the outer member of a covered joint hinge consisting in forming by successive bending op erations one end of a metal blank to provide a laterally offset knuckle, and machining said knuckle prior to the final bending operation to provide bearing surfaces for the knuckle portion of the complemental hinge member, said machining operation leaving an imperforate body at the periphery of said knuckle portions, which imperforate body portion is positioned by the bending the interfitting knuckles.

17. The method of manufacturing a hinge.

member of the character described consisting in bending one end of a metal blank to provide a knuckle form, transversely slotting said knuckle form, and subsequently curling the slotted knuckle form by endwise pressure on the blank to complete the shape of the knuckle and to conceal the slots formed in the intermediate operation.

JAMES T. ATWOOD. 

